Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-06-16
AMEllA'S PALACE.
Brigham Youpg's Reigning Sultans-HeI
Elegant Residence.

Brigham Youpg's Reigning Sultana-HeI
Elegant Residence.
Salt Lake City is not noted for general
style, but it boasts temple, tabernacle and
palace Pictures of the first two are COM
mon enough; but the palace is unknown to
most Americans, so we present herewith an
engraving of it, taken from an original
photograph. 1t is familarly known as
"Amelia's Palace" at least so known to
Gentles; and the history of Amelias reign is
almost the history of the palace. Very queer
history it is, too; and Americans who realize
in its fullness what such a history means
may conclude that some missionary work,
contemporary with more vigorous prosecu-
ton of the law, would be wholesome.
To begin at the beginning, Brigham Young
was born June l. 1901, was widower when
he Joined the Mormons in 1882, married Mary
Ann Angel soon after at Kirkland, o., and
ollowed the Mormon migrations to Nauvoo,
Ills, where polygamy was introduced secretly
at first in 1854. Being among the first
initiated he there married Clara Decker,
Lucy Decker divorced for the purpose
from Dr. Seeley) and Harriet Cook.
After reaching Utah he married, in rapid
succession, Harriet Bowker Harriet Barney,
Emmeline Free, Margaret Alley, Augusta
eight servant girls that were needed in the
family He then left off marrying for sew
eral years, as Emmeline Free had attained q
great ascendency over him. She was very
sweet and pretty woman, and her ten chill
dren are rather the best in the family. But
she grew old, and Brigham cast his eyes upon
Amelia Folsom, whose parents had brought
her from Portsmouth, n. H., her native
place, when they joined the Mormons. She
had an ardent young lover, but Brigham sent
him on a mission to Europe. and in his alb
sence courted so successfully that Amelia
consented to be his twenty-ninth. Enough
of her predecessors had died, however, to
make her the seventeenth in regular success
sion from the legal and living Mary Ann
Angel. So Brighams domestic menagerie
was arranged on the plan Of
Eighteen souls with but single thought,
Eighteen hearts that bea: as one.
But Amelia soon made sixteen other hearts
ache-sixteen superfluous wives take back
seats. She was young, artful perhaps, and
just willful enough to give spice to the old
mans life; and from 1866 to 1877 she was
practically Brigham's queen. She was his
sole companion in his carriage rides and the
atre box; and for her exclusive use he built
the so called palace. Its reputed cost was
100000, SO it would not be much of palace
in ali eastern city. Its style is hard to de-
scribe, being rather composite, as shown in
our picture, but the general effect is very fine
After few rooms had been made ready for
the queen, the remainder was long in being
finished-in fact the last touches had scarcely
been given it when Brigham died in the sum-
mer of 1877, and his vast fortune was scat
tered. The heads of the church. by some
law known to themselves, divided his prop
erty among his sixty odd wives and children;
some of the heirs revolted and brought suit;
a compromise was effected and the palace got
into the hands of the church. John Taylor,
successor to Brigham, occupied it while;
but he is now fugitive, and, as some report,
an imbecile, and the final disposal of the pal
ace remains to be decided. Amelia lives
quietly on her share Of the great estate: the